Vaughn's Story
by HerNameIsCaroline
Summary: Rated M for later chapters. Vaughn's POV. Check out my other stories for Chelsea's POV and details on her story.
1. Chapter 1

Julia popped her head into the kitchen.

"Vaughn! The new rancher is coming over with Taro. Come say hello."

I hide my grimace with the edge of my hat, slowly rising from the table.

"Julia, do I have to? Really?"

Not Julia, but Mirabelle, her mother, answered me by speed walking to my place at the table. She tapped the rim of my hat, sharply to match her tone of voice.

"This young girl is all alone to run this ranch and she could use a few friends. You are going to come say hello and be perfectly polite to this young lady, which we know is hard for you to do."

Julia is stifling her laughter behind her hand over Mirabelle's shoulder while I force myself to keep my poker face rather than frowning. I do furrow my eyebrows, though. Am I really that unfriendly?

Without a doubt.

We hear the door to the shop open on the other side of the wall as Taro, the elderly neighbor, explained the shop to the new rancher.

"And this here is Mirabelle's shop. She sells animals and feed and the like. You can also come here for any tools you'll need for caring for your livestock."

The girl does not respond, but I can imagine her nodding. Mirabelle hurries around to the other side of the house, which is the shop. It's modest, but that's what makes it such a good store. Everyone knows your name and knows what you need before you tell them. Mirabelle and Julia are as close to a family as I'm ever going to get. I can hear Mirabelle welcoming the newcomer and Julia began to follow her mother, stopping only to wave me after her.

"And this is my daughter Julia. She works here as well and can always help you find what you need."

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise!" replied the new voice. She had a certain way of talking, as if she's about to laugh. Taro spoke next.

"Where's Vaughn?"

"Oh that boy… Vaughn!" Mirabelle called over the wall. I sighed inwardly, making my way into the store, cursing myself for working on the island this week. New people are so uncommon that it's a big deal when one shows up.

"Ah, there he is." Mirabelle's face split into a smile as she gestured towards the young girl standing next to Taro. "This is Chelsea. Chelsea, this is Vaughn. He handles the animals both on and off the island, so he's only here every few days..."

"Hi, Vaughn! Nice to meet you!" She shot her hand out without hesitation, catching me off guard. I shake her hand, saying "The pleasure's all mine," hoping my face doesn't show my annoyance. She beamed at me and I almost caught myself doing the same. Her attitude is contagious, I'll give her that.

"Well," said Taro, "I best show her Gannon's across the bridge. Introduce her to Regis and Sabrina and the rest. See you around."

"Bye!" Chelsea waved brightly before following Taro out the door. The other villagers should get a kick out of her.

The island I spend most of my time on is called Verdure Island. The people on the island come from all around and somehow manage to fit in with each other despite their differences. Next door to Mirabelle's shop was Chen's grocery store, where he lived with his son Charlie. Charlie was about six years old and was as loud as a child that small could be. Chen was soft spoken but strict and loved his son very much. On the other side of them lived Taro with his daughter, Felicia, and her two children. Taro used to be a rancher himself, now passing the task on to this new girl. He still manages the shipping with the help of his grandkids. Elliot is the older sibling, yet is a pushover and a bit of a sissy. He is constantly bullied around by his younger sister, Natalie. She is tough as nails and, after years of hauling around boxes of crops, can beat almost anyone on the island in arm wrestling. Anyone but Gannon.

Gannon is a big, scary carpenter. He can build a whole barn in just a few days, entirely alone. He lives across the bridge on Sprout Island with his daughter Eliza. She is as sweet as can be, although a little full of herself, but she's six as well so maybe she'll grow out of it. Gannon is a total pushover for her. It's kind of sweet, really. He lives nearby the café where I like to spend my free time on the island, as well as by Regis' mansion. Regis is a millionaire who earned his money in the mining business. He lives alone in this huge house with his daughter, Sabrina. She's the bookworm type, and like Elliot, isn't very tough.

Other inhabitants of Sprout Island include two of the craziest people I've ever met. One of which is Denny, a young man about my age that does nothing but sit on the beach and fish. He often comes to the café at the same time I do so we've come to be… well I wouldn't call us friends but he certainly would. He blabbers on and on about fishing all day when I just want to be left alone to my lunch. The other beach dweller is Lanna. She was a one hit wonder pop star that is dying to make a comeback. The only thing holding her back is her love for fishing. She lives right on the beach and fishes all day, singing to herself.

And then there's our neighbor, Pierre. He lives near the store and next to the Diner, where he often goes to cook for the islanders. The Diner is really run by a man named Nick, but he mostly just works the counters. Pierre is constantly coming up with new concoctions and tries to convince everyone to try them. The only one who's brave enough to is Natalie, but she'll eat anything, so she's fonder of Pierre than I am. These are the people that I spend the majority of my time with, and they all drive me crazy, but I wouldn't trade them for the world.

Shortly after meeting the new rancher I had to leave the island to go work elsewhere. I'd be back in a few days, but I'd still miss the familiarity. I thought I had seen the last of Chelsea, considering I had no intention of speaking to her again, but I was proven wrong the second I returned to the island. I was picking up a few bags of fodder for the animals when I heard the door open. Chelsea came in, covered in dirt and sweat, but smiling as brightly as ever. She plopped down on a stool in front of the counter, clearly tired, yet she didn't slump at all. She looked as if she were a little kid that couldn't sit still.

"What can I get for you sweetie?" asked Mirabelle sweetly.

"A few bags of fodder, if you will. I'm having Gannon build me a barn so I'm getting ready to raise a cow or two." Her smile widened; she was clearly proud of herself. I was impressed as well, which was really saying something. I'd only been gone for a week and she's already having a _barn_ built? Mirabelle nodded at me to bring a few bags over and I refrained from rolling my eyes. Despite my personal goal to never interact with Chelsea, I couldn't help being curious about how her farm work was going.

"Oh, hi, Vaughn! You're back!" She smiled again.

"Mhm."

She didn't seem fazed by my attitude, surprising me again. I didn't like that she was so friendly, and I don't need to be bothered with making friends. I returned to my corner to count out the feed I still needed as Mirabelle helped Chelsea.

"So you certainly made that money fast! Share your secret!" The two laughed. Chelsea settled into the stool more, finally showing a little exhaustion, and ran the back of her sleeve across her forehead.

"Well, it wasn't easy, but my dad always said I was a natural farmer."

"How are you managing all alone over there? What made you decide to come run this ranch?"

"I'm alright. I was an only child and my mother died when I was young, so it was just me and dad working the farm back home. But… when he died… I had nowhere to go. Then I heard about the ranch here." She drank deeply from a glass of water that Julia had brought from the kitchen before settling onto a stool next to Chelsea to listen to her story.

"So your dad just died?" She asked, concern crossing her face. "I'm so sorry…"

Chelsea shook her head. "No, it's alright. I can manage." But I could tell a little joy had left her usually bubbly voice. So, breaking the promise I made to myself, I spoke without looking towards them.

"So how have you made all this money? You have no livestock so you must be growing some decent crops."

"Oh!" Her voice was bright again, filled with the excitement of accomplishment. "I've been growing strawberries, mostly. They don't take too much work so I can grow and sell a good number for a decent price—"She continued explaining her crops to me as I turned to show I was listening attentively. Julia and Mirabelle were looking at me as if I just sprouted a third arm.

"And—oh! Shoot! I was supposed to meet Gannon a few minutes ago! I have to leave, but thanks Mirabelle! See you guys later!" She grabbed her bags of fodder and hurried out the door. Julia swiveled in her stool to face me.

"So," She said slowly. "Uh… what was that?"

"What was what?"

"You _talked_."

"Yeah, I talked. So?"

"You… You _never_ talk."

"I talk! Sometimes!"

Truth be told I had no idea what made me so friendly towards Chelsea. Just seeing how hard she'd been working made me feel a lot of respect for her… plus deep down inside I thought the way she didn't care about the dirt smeared across her clothes was in some way cute. Which I would never admit, even to myself.

I could feel my face beginning to flush, so I snapped at Julia that I was going for a walk before storming out of the store. I walked to the café to calm down. On my way there I ran into Chelsea again, now fodderless, leaving Gannon's shop. She saw me looking at her and waved at me. I nodded at her as she met me in front of the café's door.

"Oh, are you going in?"

I nodded in response.

"Mind if I join you? I haven't eaten lunch yet and I've never been here before…"

I nodded again so we went in together. Denny was at his table in the far end of the café with Lanna, each of them eating a dish including fish as usual. We sat down at my regular table in the corner and I tell her what food they have here. We order at the counter and return to our seats. Chelsea leans on her arms on the table, bringing herself closer to me. I feel my face flush so I tilt my hat forward and lean back in my chair. She doesn't seem to notice because she continues to look around at the café, taking in the whole building.

"Wow it's so cozy in here." I think to myself that that's exactly why I come here as she smiles to herself before continuing. "Do you come here often?"

"Mhm."

"Why?"

I couldn't admit that the reason was what she just pointed out because that would imply that we had things in common and might lead to an unwanted friendship.

"The food here's good."

"I'm sure it is. Whatever's cooking right now smells fantastic!"

She looked towards the kitchen and I couldn't help but smile to myself. She's so funny and she doesn't even know it.

Haila brings us our sandwiches and hands me my coffee and Chelsea her hot chocolate. The old woman smiles at Chelsea, winks at me, and then leaves. I realized how this looked and instinctively looked over towards Denny's table, where he was turned around in his chair, facing me, and giving me an evil smile. I slowly chewed my sandwich as he rose from his seat and sauntered over.

Denny had a way with girls. He had messy brown hair covered by a bandana that girls found irresistible, not to mention he was fit. He also was a sweet guy, sweeter than I could ever be. I could see how that would be appealing, I guess.

"So! Who's your _friend_ , Vaughn?"

"Chelsea." I said in a clipped voice. He has a way of inadvertently pissing me off.

"I don't believe I've had the pleasure," he held out his hand. "I'm Denny. Nice to meet you. You must be the new rancher I've heard such great things about." He smiled warmly at her and sat down next to her, between us. She gave him one of her characteristic, beaming smiles after shaking his hand.

"Nice to meet you too! You look like a traveler. Have you been a lot of places?"

Both Denny and I seemed taken aback at her ability to read people.

"As a matter of fact, yeah, I have been around. But I've settled down here. Great fishing waters and awesome people." He smiled again. "A nice combination for a place to call home."

Chelsea smiled back and I could see a shade of pink creep onto her cheeks. I couldn't take it anymore.

"Denny, do you mind? We were talking."

"You? Talking? You don't talk, Vaughn."

"I talk! Why does everyone—"

"Don't worry about it." He patted my back. "I didn't mean to interrupt your _date_."

I could have punched him in the face right there. I flushed again and kept myself from yelling at him. "It isn't a date." I said it firmly, so he took the hint and walked away, but not before winking maliciously. I looked at Chelsea to see her staring at her hands in her lap, her cheeks bright red. I couldn't think of anything else to say, so I told her "Ignore him," and we went back to eating our sandwiches.

Denny and Lanna eventually left to get back to work, if you could even call it that, and I finally relaxed a little. Chelsea seemed to notice and became herself again.

"Was he a friend of yours?"

"I wouldn't call him that."

"Hmm… He was just teasing you."

"And you."

She rested her chin in her hand, leaning on the table again.

"I didn't think so…"

"Well… I…"

"You stuck up for me I guess. So thank you."

"I… What?"

I could tell my surprise showed on my face but I didn't care at the moment.

"Well… You thought he was messing with me, so you were defending me. Thank you. That was sweet of you."

"Sweet…"

She nodded slightly.

"Are you okay? You're a little flushed…"

I jerked back to reality, hiding under my hat again.

"I'm fine. I gotta get back to work."

I left money for both our meals on the table and left without looking back, but I knew she watched me go. I felt a pang of guilt at leaving so suddenly, but I couldn't go back now and, what, apologize? Since when do I apologize? Or feel guilty? Since when am I _sweet_? Questions like this circled around in my head until I left the next afternoon. Even once I was gone, I couldn't get Chelsea out of my head.


	2. Chapter 2

I returned to the island the next week secretly hoping to see Chelsea, but dreading it at the same time. I didn't see her at all for the two days I was on the island, and as I finished up inventory for the week, I figured that I would be leaving before she stopped by.

"That's it for this week."

"Thanks, Vaughn. Good job."

I just turned to leave and go pack when Mirabelle called me back.

"Hold on a second. I have a favor to ask of you."

I turn towards her, fighting the urge to roll my eyes again. "What?"

"Something's bothering the animals. Could you take a look at them for me?"

"All of them?" I asked, exasperated. I had just finished this week's work…

"I know you're busy, but there's no one else I can ask… Can you help me out?"

I couldn't say no to Mirabelle, but I hesitated for a second. "Fine."

Mirabelle smiled brightly, and says, "That's great. Thanks, Vaughn."

Just then the door opened and Chelsea walked in. We looked at each other for a moment before Mirabelle broke the silence, oblivious to the awkward tension between us.

"Oh, Chelsea! I just asked Vaughn to do a job for me… If you've got time, would you mind helping him out?"

What?! Alone time with Chelsea is the last thing I wanted right now.

"I work alone."

"But, you're busy, right? So, Chelsea. How about it?"

She thought for a moment, then looked at me when answering, "I'll help out."

Mirabelle smiled widely again. "Well, Vaughn? You heard Chelsea."

I broke my gaze with Chelsea to look at Mirabelle, then back at Chelsea. "Don't get in my way."

I looked back at Chelsea, who stuck her tongue out at me and followed me out of the store. We entered the barn and I went from animal to animal checking for wounds or signs of illness. I still figured Chelsea was mad at me, so I just decided to keep to myself as usual.

"You're really good with the animals huh, Vaughn?"

"Mhm."

"That's… nice…"

"Mhm."

"Vaughn?"

I finally turned to look at her and yelled out in surprise. She was sitting on the ground in front of a jet black foal that hasn't left his mother's side since he was born. Mainly because his mother bit anyone who got near him. But there she sat, right beside the two, letting Chelsea pet them both.

"What?! What's wrong?!"

I was in absolute shock. "N…Nothing. Those two horses are just… difficult. Even for me. But you… She's letting you pet her foal…"

"Oh, should I not be?"

"No, she just hasn't let anyone else near him."

"Well, come here." I slowly approached the three of them, so as to not scare the horses away. I kneeled onto the ground next to Chelsea and she slowly put her hand over mine, never breaking eye contact with the mother. She guided my hand towards her foal slowly, causing the mother to paw at the ground and Chelsea to stop.

"Hold on a second," she whispered to me. Using her other hand, the one that wasn't holding mine, she reached up to pet the mother instead, slowly leading my hand to her after the horse had calmed down. She let me pet her for a minute and then Chelsea tried again to guide my hand to the foal. We met no objection this time.

"There we go." Her voice was still a whisper.

"But you were _new_ to them," I was whispering too. "You'd think she'd be more uneasy around you."

"Sometimes they can sense good people."

I smiled slightly. "So what are you saying I am?"

She looked at me and I realize with a jolt how close we were to each other. Her hand still rested on mine and the heat from it burned through my gloves. She looked into my eyes so deeply, like no one has before, causing me to blush. She's staring steadily at me while I fight the urge to look away.

She grinned shyly and whispered, "You smiled."

"Wh… What?"

"You smiled. I've never seen you smile before."

I could feel my face grow hot. Blushing was a regular occurrence around Chelsea, which made me want to distance myself from her even more.

"It's nice. You have a nice smile."

"Well… thanks…"

She looked back at the horses, but I kept looking at her. A shadow of a laugh played across her face.

"You know…" my voice had grown from a whisper to a low volume. "I can't exactly help it. Your smile is contagious."

She looked at me while I averted my gaze, looking back at the horses. She giggled and said, "You're funny. And sweet."

There it was again. _Sweet._ I tended to relax around the animals. Act more like myself. Maybe that's why I've been so open today. I looked at Chelsea as she smiled at me. Then I stood, slowly for the sake of keeping my hand intact, and brushed the hay from the floor off my pants before holding my hand out to help Chelsea up.

"Well, why don't you help me check out the rest of the animals? You're apparently a natural with them."

We went from stall to stall checking up on the animals while Chelsea told me about the animals her father had on his farm. I listened intently and even smiled a few more times, though I didn't let her see any more. We eventually headed back to the store and I felt defeated.

"We couldn't figure out what was wrong…"

"Hmm…" Chelsea actually put her chin in her hand as she was thinking. "Maybe they could sense that you were leaving soon and wanted you to come say goodbye." She said it in her strange way of almost laughing.

"Yeah, I can't help but miss them too sometimes."

"They probably want you to just stay here…"

"Maybe…"

"I want you to stay too…"

I whipped my head around to look at her, almost knocking my hat off.

"What?"

"You… You're so good with animals. I'd like to learn a few pointers."

She was blushing and I could tell she was lying, but I let it slide. But honestly, why else could she want me to stay? We're not exactly friends or anything.

"Well," I held the door to the shop open for her, "After today I don't really think you need them."

She smiled as we entered the store again where Mirabelle and Julia were starting to close up. I sighed. "I'm beat."

She laughed, "Me too. Hope I didn't get in the way too much." She winked at me.

"Looks like you actually helped speed things up." I didn't allow myself to smile again.

Mirabelle laughed from behind the counter as she locked up the register. "Thanks, Chelsea. Vaughn may not look it, but he's actually happy."

I scowled at her as Chelsea half laughed, "Goodnight everyone!" and left the store.

Mirabelle looked at me from behind the counter. "You alright, Vaughn? You look a little… off."

"I'm… She's…" I flushed. "She just has a way with animals," I said roughly. I left the store to catch my ship out of here, but not before hearing Mirabelle mutter to herself, "I can see that she does."


	3. Chapter 3

My trip back couldn't come fast enough. I heard from a letter from Julia that Chelsea adopted her first cow, a young calf she named Eunice. Julia also said that Chelsea asked a few times about when I'd be returning. I had to stay longer than usual because one of our sheep went into labor earlier than expected. I couldn't wait to get back to Verdure to see how she was handling the calf.

The day finally came when I stepped off of Kirk's boat and onto the dock. I headed over to Mirabelle's to say hello before taking my stuff to the inn. It was a Saturday so the store was closed and Felicia was over gossiping with Mirabelle, a weekly tradition. Usually they disregard me, considering I don't talk to any one they're talking about, but this time they went silent immediately.

"What were you guys talking about?"

"It's a secret." They said simultaneously.

"Oh… alright. Just wanted to say hi. Just got in."

"It's great to see you, Vaughn." Mirabelle said, giving me a look that clearly told me she wanted me to leave.

"Well… I'll go unpack then."

"Alright, sweetie. Come here for dinner, okay?"

"Yeah… maybe."

I headed across the bridge to the inn on Sprout Island. I went to my usual room and put a few things in a few drawers. I don't unpack much considering how soon I'll have to leave again. As I was leaving, I overheard Denny and Chelsea talking on the beach. I wanted to go say hello, but I hesitated as I got near enough to hear their conversation.

Chelsea just arrived, apparently, because Denny said "Oh, it's you, Chelsea. What's up?"

She answered, making my heart jump into my throat. "Oh… um… just taking a walk on the beach. What… What are you up to?"

"I was just fixing up the tears in my net. I can't make my living without this, ya know? You gotta take care of the things that are important to you."

I could tell by the way she was talking that Chelsea was smiling. "Isn't that the truth? Anything I can do?"

"What? You wanna help out? It's not easy, you know."

"I think I'll manage" I peered around Gannon's shop to see the two of them. Chelsea was giving Denny a sly smile, which he was returning. _Oh god, Oh god. This isn't good._ My heart was pounding and I didn't understand why. Was I actually _jealous_?

"Well alright, then! I'll teach you!"

Chelsea went over to where he was standing, taking two pieces of the frayed rope. Denny put his hands on hers and guided them through the movements of repairing the net.

"First, take this, and put it through here... Next, you tie these together here."

"You're right, this is tricky!"

"Heh, see? I told you it was difficult! It took me a long time before could fix it myself."

I felt my stomach clench. I didn't like the way he was looking at her. Like he… wanted her. But why should I care? It's not like anything would happen between me and Chelsea. But… The way he's looking at her…

I decided I couldn't take anymore so I headed into the café for some peace. I ordered a glass of milk and sat at my corner table, mulling over what just happened. Was she honestly interested in _Denny_? He doesn't even have a real job! Just as I was thinking about how I never wanted to see that guy again, he walks into the café and decides to sit next to me.

"Hey, Vaughn! Just get back?"

"Yes." I said through gritted teeth.

"Man things have been tough for me here while you were gone."

"Oh, I bet." I said sarcastically, raising my glass to my lips.

"The fishing business isn't doing so well. We hardly make any money, fishermen, that is."

"Then why do you work so hard? If the job is pointless…" I muttered the last part.

"What was that?"

"What?"

"Hey, you got the guts to say that to my face, buddy?!"

"Didn't you just say fishermen don't make any money?"

I heard the door open and close behind us and Chelsea ask "What's going on?"

But Denny didn't appear to hear her. "Fishing's in my blood! I don't care if I make any money! It's my passion!" I sat in silence, in pure shock that Denny, _Denny,_ had just yelled at me. "Never mind. It's clear you don't get it at all." He stormed off to his regular table and Chelsea came and sat next to me.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"Chelsea…"

"Vaughn, tell me what happened." I'd never seen her serious before. Or worried. I didn't like seeing either.

"I wasn't making fun of him. It's just odd that he works so hard at a job that doesn't pay well. I don't really have a way with words."

"Say you're sorry!"

"What?"

She gave me a look and I thought about it a moment. She obviously has feelings for him. I felt defeated. Why does Chelsea make me feel so… friendly? Easy-going even? Why is it so hard to distance myself from her, push her away and keep her at an arm's length when that's all I want?

"Yeah… You're right, Chelsea."

"O…Okay. You can do this, Vaughn. Just keep it cool, he's had a rough week." She smiled and nodded at me and I knew that I would do anything she wanted me to. We both go over to Denny's table. She stands behind him as I go and sit across from him.

"Denny, I didn't mean what I just said. I'm sorry."

Denny sat in silence, so I decided to continue.

"I didn't mean to insult your work. I just think it's amazing how much you like your job, and how hard you work."

Denny sighed. "How can I stay mad when you put it like that?"

Chelsea gave me a huge smile from behind Denny, which he didn't see, of course.

"Sorry for blowing my stack there. Hey, I'll make it up to ya! Let's pig out together!"

I smiled slightly and said "Sounds good."

Then, as Denny went to order some food, I turned to Chelsea. "Chelsea, if you didn't say that to me, I might not have ever spoken to Denny again... Thank you."

He returned with a few plates of food and also turned to Chelsea. "Sorry I lost my cool earlier, Chelsea." He seemed truly sorry. I guess Denny and I are friends after all.

Eventually Lanna and Felicia joined our little buffet, and Chelsea pulled me aside. "Do you want to come to the ranch later? You've never been and… I got a calf and… um…" I've never seen her at a loss for words.

I hesitated, thinking about her and Denny on the beach earlier. I ignored the anger burning in my gut and said, "Sure. I'd love to."

She beamed. "Okay, cool! Come to my house around seven, okay?"

"Uh, sure."

"Alright. Sorry for doing this, but I have to get to work. Have fun with… these guys." We looked at the table as Felicia and Lanna cracked up at Denny, who was causing his fried fish, head and all, to sing and dance. I smiled at Chelsea, who smiled back and said "There it is again," winked, and left.

That night at seven, I headed over to the ranch. I was completely nervous and didn't know what we would possibly talk about. Is she going to talk about Denny? Oh, god… Thoughts like this swam through my head as I forced my leaden legs to take me to the ranch. Once I got there, Chelsea led me straight to the barn.

"This," She opened the doors, "Is Eunice." Inside was one of the strongest calves I'd ever seen.

"Wow," I said without sarcasm. "You have a pretty impressive cow there."

"I know. I'm very proud." She smiled at me and then hesitated. She looked as if she was about to ask me something, but didn't.

"What's on your mind, Chelsea?"

"You tell me."

"Uh…"

"You've been weird."

"Since… Since when?"

"You got back."

"I have? Are you sure?"

"Vaughn…"

"Alright… I overheard you and Denny at the beach."

"So?"

"So? So he's into you! He was obviously flirting with you!"

" _Denny_?" Chelsea began laughing out loud. "You've _got_ to be kidding, Vaughn! Why do you even care? Are you _jealous_?"

"Wha…? No, I'm not." I could feel my face burning.

"You are, aren't you? And how exactly did you hear this? Were you _eavesdropping_ on us?"

"Not… On purpose."

"And you're acting like I'm in the wrong!"

"I never said anyone was in the wrong!"

"If you're not jealous, then why've you been weird?!"

"Because I'm… conflicted!"

She was silent.

"Conflicted about what?"

Instead of answering, I turned and left the barn, ending up wherever my feet took me. Leaving was my only way of responding; I didn't even know. What _was_ I conflicted about? The thought emerged automatically from the back of my head. _Chelsea_. I wasn't sure how I felt about her. Could I actually have _feelings_ for her? That's impossible. I've been alone my whole life and plan on keeping it that way. Emotions have done nothing but cause me problems in the past. I push people away so I don't care about them. I'm surely not close enough to Chelsea to have feelings for her.

But… the way she talks makes me want to smile. Just seeing her dirt covered face in the shop made my heart pound. Whenever I see a red bandana I think of Chelsea's beaming face. _No. Enough._ I have to scold myself. _She's just a rancher. Just another islander._

 _But she's the only one that tolerates me._

It wasn't hard for Chelsea to come and find me at the beach. I was looking out over the ocean when I heard her settle into the sand beside me.

"Vaughn…"

"Don't, Chelsea. Just don't."

"Don't _what_?"

"I don't… know."

She was silent as she thought about what to say. I listened to the sounds of the ocean, willing myself not to look at the moon reflecting off of her silky brown hair as it blew in the cool, night-time breeze. My face grew hot as she began to speak. "You need to open up and talk to people, Vaughn, and then things would be easier for you to deal with. Because you'd have people who care about you helping you."

I stayed silent, keeping my gaze directed toward the sea. She continued, "Vaughn, even if you don't want to believe it or want people to know it we all know you're human. You feel sadness and guilt, not just anger. You feel love and happiness and jealousy—"

"Jealousy?! I already told you I'm _not jealous_!" I jumped to my feet. I hadn't meant to yell, but the damage was done.

"Vaughn, did I do something?"

"What? When?"

"Today."

"No… No of course not. Why?"

"Well…. I've always gotten this vibe that you don't like me. But that day in the barn I felt like we connected, you know? Like we were friends."

I could hear her voice start to tremble. "Chels-"

She jumped to her feet, tears raining down on her flushed cheeks. "But I guess I was wrong. I don't have feelings for Denny, since that's what you're wondering. Instead of yelling at me, why don't you try _talking_ to me? " And before I could stop her, she left. I didn't see her for the rest of my time on the island, and I was going to be gone for about a month. I just hope that she'll have forgiven me by then. And maybe I could figure out what exactly I'd done.


	4. Chapter 4

Once I _did_ return, I had no intention of trying to talk to Chelsea. She'd probably still be mad at me. I headed to work at Mirabelle's for the day and met Julia inside.

"Hey, jerk! Where are my cookies?"

"Cookies?" I made a grab for my hat as she snatched it off of my head to put on her own.

"You're supposed to give cookies to nice girls today. Spring Thanksgiving? Girls you like. Speaking of which, what'd you do to Chelsea?"

"What?" I grabbed for my hat again, catching Julia off guard and managing to pull it back over my own head. "I don't like her."

"Fine, whatever. Just send her some cookies to apologize. She's pissed." She flicked my ear.

"Ow!" I rubbed my ear as she grabbed a bottle of milk and left to work the register.

Once my shift was over, I walked over the bridge towards the ranch with a small package of cookies in my hand. My heart was pounding and the butterflies in my stomach refused to sit still as I reached up to knock on Chelsea's door. Without warning, the door swung open and I jumped back a few steps. Chelsea stepped outside and spotted me, scared half to death, holding a package behind my back. I felt my cheeks turn red as she looked at me, puzzled.

"Vaughn?"

"Oh, I, um…" I felt my face darken and I cleared my throat. "Uh, it's Spring Thanksgiving, so, here." I thrust the cookies at her. "I brought these for you." She took them with a questioning look. "To, um, apologize."

"Oh…" She lazily tossed them into her rucksack. "Okay."

She turned and left the ranch, leaving me on the doorstep wondering if that meant that I was forgiven.

Just for good measure, I avoided Chelsea as much as possible. I knew it wouldn't last, and I soon ran into her as I was heading towards the inn after work at the crossroads off the bridge. She stood there, looking at me in silence as my face flushed. I caught myself and tilted my hat forward to hide it again.

"Hey, Chelsea."

She nodded at me. "What're you up to?"

"I finished work for today and was just out for a walk."

Lanna left the café and started walking towards us. "Oooh, it's Vaughnie!"

Dear god. Was this starting again? Denny began calling me that when I first started work on the island. I got him to stop, but not before he spread the nickname to Lanna. I paused, willing myself to control my temper.

"Don't call me that."

"Vaughnie's so dreamy! Don't you think so, Chelsea?"

Chelsea stood there, her face flushed. "Don't talk to him like that." I was shocked. I'd never seen Chelsea angry before.

"But… He's so dreamy!"

Chelsea just shook her head.

"Fine. I can take a hint." And we watched her stalk back to her house. I wasn't sure what to say to Chelsea. Does sticking up for me mean she wasn't mad, or is she just that nice? Are we _friends_ again?

"Thanks, Chelsea. I'm not really a people person. I can't go yelling at her. But I don't like when she calls me that. Glad you were here."

I figured she was still mad, because she didn't do anything at first. But then she smiled at me, a genuine smile, and turned to cross the bridge.

I was taking a break the next day in Mirabelle's kitchen when the door opened on the other side of the wall and someone entered.

"Hey, Mirabelle!" Chelsea's voice drifted over the wall.

"Hi there. What can I do for you, dear?"

"I, uh, was wondering if Vaughn was here, actually."

"Right there in the kitchen, hun."

"Okay, thanks!"

She came around the wall and stood in front of me.

"Hey, Vaughn."

"Hi, Chelsea. What's up?"

"I, uh…" Her hands were behind her back and her face started to turn red. "I wanted to say thanks for the cookies you gave me the other day. They were delicious."

I could imagine Mirabelle listening intently on the other side of the wall.

"Oh, no problem."

Without warning, Chelsea covered the distance between us in a few strides and threw her arms around me. I was caught off guard and just stood there, feeling my face burn.

"I really missed you." Chelsea whispered urgently in my ear. I felt numb as she pulled away from me, her cheeks still pink, waving and saying, "Bye, Vaughn," before going around the wall and out the door. When I regained feeling in my legs, I went around the wall myself and sat on a stool at the counter. My head felt fuzzy, as if I was dreaming.

"Hey, Mirabelle?"

"What's on your mind, sweetie?"

My face started burning. "Do you… I think… You know Chelsea?"

"Yes…?"

"Well she's… I think I… She's nice, you know?"

"Oh," Mirabelle gave me a knowing look. "I see. You're looking to… _woo_ her, aren't you?"

"Wh—what?"

"Oh, Vaughn I could tell you liked her from the start. You were always so friendly towards her! And Julia told me about the day in the barn with the horses—"

"What? How does Julia know about that?"

"Well, I'm assuming Chelsea told her."

"What? When? _Why_?"

"Well, because girls talk about those kinds of things."

"But why are they _talking_?"

"Because they're _friends_ , Vaughn."

"Friends? Since when?"

Mirabelle gave me a small shake of her head. "You've been gone a long time, Vaughn, so I'll tell you this. You better nab that girl quick. You're not the only one after her."

My heart started to pound and I felt heat creeping onto my face. "What?"

Mirabelle looked towards the door, and then leaned across the counter to whisper at me, "Felicia told me her son, Elliot, has taken quite a liking to her. They've become close friends as well." She leaned back to let me take it all in.

" _Elliot_? I think I'll be fine, Mirabelle."

"I don't know… Chelsea was… frustrated… with you after you left. I'm not sure why, but judging by your face you know."

I hadn't thought that I was doing anything with my face, but some realization must have registered.

"Elliot's a sweet boy. He put her back in her good mood. I'd be a little worried if I were you, Vaughn."

"Worried…"

I stood and left, heading to the café. On my way inside, I heard Elliot talking from the other side of Gannon's. I held myself back from running over there and telling him to stay away from Chelsea.

"I'm so sorry, Chelsea. If it's okay with you, will you wait for me tonight on Sprout Island's beach?"

"Wh… Why?"

"There's just something I want to show you. I don't mean to be pushy."

"Alright. I'll be there."

"Thank you! I'll see you this evening then! Bye for now!" I watched him run across the bridge and back to his house, obviously in a rush to finish his work. Chelsea would walk by soon, so I ducked into the café.

That night, I kept watch outside the window of my room for the beach. Chelsea arrived there just as the sun was starting to lower, Elliot following shortly. I didn't want to do this, but I headed down to the shore to see what he wanted to show her. I stayed out of sight, but I could hear them both perfectly.

"I'm sorry, Chelsea. Have you been waiting long?"

"Not at all." I could hear the smile in her voice. "Did work go well?"

"Um, yes. I finished helping grandpa out. He wanted me to thank you, Chelsea."

"It's no problem."

"I'm so glad I made it on time. I wanted to see this with you, Chelsea."

"What are you—" She trailed off as he gestured towards the ocean, which had turned crimson under the setting sun. They both turned towards the water and watched the sun go down. I could see a shade of red on Elliot's face. Whether it was from the sun's reflection or not, I don't know.

"Isn't the sunset beautiful? I just love the view from here. And I wanted to watch it with you, Chelsea." He looked at her, longing in his face, but she didn't notice. Her eyes were wide as she followed the setting sun.

"It really is amazing…" Her voice was wistful and she turned to meet Elliot's gaze.

"I'm glad you like it too." He hesitated, then leaned down and kissed her swiftly. I nearly jumped out of my hiding place. _He just kissed her! What's she going to do? Is she going to kiss him back_? But instead, Chelsea patted his shoulder.

"Elliot, you're very sweet but… I actually _just_ ended a relationship. Like, yesterday. I'm really not ready to even think about anyone else like that right now. I'd love to stay friends though, but I'm sure that's the last thing you want to hear right now…"

"No, Chelsea, It's fine. I just thought you were so pretty and… If I'm completely honest I have feelings for someone else that kind of rejected me… I understand."

They hugged, and Chelsea headed to the café while Elliot went back to Verdure. My heart had stopped though. Who was she _just_ in a relationship with? I waited a few more minutes before following her into the café.

She was sitting in the corner table that I usually occupied, slumped over, her head in her arms.

"Chelsea?"

She gave a start and turned to face me. Her eyes were red as if she was crying, but I didn't see any tears.

"Oh, Vaughn. What do you want?"

"No-Nothing. Are you okay?"

"I'm… no. I'm not. But it's not any of your concern." She pushed past me and out the door.

"Jeez, Vaughn." I turned towards Denny, who I hadn't even realized was here. "You certainly have a way with the ladies."

"Shut up, Denny." I sat at my table. He sauntered over and sat backwards on the chair across from me.

"What's on your mind, cowboy?"

I shot a glare at him. "None of your business."

"C'mon, buddy. You can confide in me." He gave me a smile that may or may not have been sarcastic, and I decided that I might as well talk to him.

"She likes Elliot, doesn't she?"

"Hmm… Not sure. Julia's the one to ask."

"Julia?"

"The two of them are pretty close."

"Do you think she'd tell me?"

"Of course she would. She thinks of you as a brother, she'd tell you anything. Plus she has a crush on Elliot and is _slightly_ jealous. She'd be glad to help you out."

"What about this breakup that Chelsea supposedly just had? I didn't even know she was seeing anyone…"

The color drained from Denny's face. "How did you even hear about that?"

"I happened to be walking by when she was talking to Elliot just now." I lied, hopefully successfully. "Why."

"It just isn't any of your business." He suddenly stood, his mood shifting from sarcastic to spiteful like flipping a light switch. "If you care that much then talk to her about it. But don't pry if you aren't gonna like her answer. Keep that in mind."

He left some money on his table and left the café. I seemed to be pissing everyone off without trying to. I had to leave early in the morning, but I decided to go and talk to Julia the next time I was on the island.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Hey all, sorry I've been missing for, like, a year ;_; I was trying to upload Vaughn and Chelsea's stories in time with one another, but hit a bit of a roadblock with Chelsea's whereas Vaughn's is already completed. I'm finally just going to upload all of Vaughn's chapters now and maybe I'll finish Chelsea's someday soon. Thanks for being patient!**

I returned to the island as the spring season was in its final stages. Mirabelle left to go pick of a shipment of feed from the dock, leaving me and Julia to take stock and organize the shelves. I felt like now was as good a time as any to ask her what she knew about Chelsea's interests in other guys.

"So… uh…"

"What's on your mind?"

"Um… Does Chelsea like anyone that you know of?"

"What?" She stopped counting the bottles of animal medicine and turned to look at me with surprise. "Why do you care?"

"Well, I… Um…" I felt my face flush and dipped my head down to hide behind my hat.

"Oh my god. You like her, don't you?" I could hear the satisfaction in her voice. I lost my temper at that.

"Yeah? So what if I do!"

"It's so unlike you, Vaughn. I never imagined you would fall for somebody."

"I didn't… I haven't…"

"Look, do you know what tomorrow is?"

"Wha… no?"

"It's the Harvest Goddess festival. There will be a dance at the meadow. It's run by the church on a neighboring island." **(A/N: I know this isn't the actual chronological order of the festivals in the game and that Spring Harmony day comes after the Harvest Goddess festival)**

"Ok, so?"

" _So_ _ask Chelsea._ "

"What? I—"

"Oh shut up." She snapped. "You know you want to."

"But I… how?"

"Just _ask._ "

"What if Elliot does? What if I do and she says _no_?"

"Elliot actually asked me. And I said yes. And," she leaned towards me. "I'm not supposed to say anything, but you've got a better chance than you'd think. Now go." She turned and left for the kitchen as Chelsea entered the store.

"Oh, hi, Vaughn!" She seemed to be back to her cheerful self.

"Uh…"

"What's up? I was looking for Julia…"

"She's, uh…" I could see Julia shaking her head from the kitchen out of the corner of my eye. "She's busy."

"Oh, okay." We stood in awkward silence for a moment before I said "Tomorrow's the Harvest Goddess Festival. I was thinking of going if I have the time."

"Oh, really? I didn't think you were the sort."

"Want to go? With… With me? It's a dance, right?"

"Really? Um…" _Oh, god. She's going to say no._ "Well, I should be free. Where should we meet up? The Diner?"

"Oh! Uh… I guess… I'll see you at Nick's Diner tomorrow. Don't be late."

"Alright! See you there!" She beamed at me and left the store.

I stood in disbelief as Julia emerged from the kitchen, clapping slowly. "Good job, Vaughn. You're about to go on your first date."

"Uh… huh…"

"My god… We need to fix you up, don't we?"

"What?" I finally caught up with reality and looked at Julia.

"We need to go over proper date etiquette, got it? Sit down." She led me over to the rustic dining table where we sat across from each other. "Rule number one," she started, "No hat."

"What? But I—"

" _No hat_. You use it as a defense mechanism to hide your emotions. If you really want to get close to Chelsea, you'll have to let her see the _real_ you, like in the barn."

"What in the—how does everyone know about the barn?"

"Chelsea told me." She waved her hand dismissively. "Not important. Rule number two: be _polite_. Try not to get snippy. Try being considerate and sweet, okay? You following?"

I nod. "Alright. Rule number three. Kiss her at the end."

" _What_?!"

"Trust me. Do you trust me, Vaughn?"

"I… yes."

"Then do it." She patted my arm and left the store. I locked up behind myself before heading back to the inn. This was going to be a lot harder than I thought.

The next evening, I settled into Nick's Diner to wait for Chelsea. I had been fussed over for half an hour by Julia and Mirabelle, only to have them accept defeat with my unruly hair. I ran my hand through it, which was weird. I'm not used to not having my hat with me. My mind started racing despite the briefing I had received from Julia earlier. "Now only the girls will dance at first. You can, and should, get up and dance with her once they're done. Unless she doesn't want to. Be sure to take charge when she's silent. Ask her if she would like a drink. Mind your manners."

Chelsea entered the Diner shortly after I arrived, meeting me with a smile at the table I had been sitting at. I stood up and felt my face flush. She had on a pale yellow dress and didn't have her characteristic red bandana on. Her chestnut hair fell down to her shoulders in waves. Her smile was a beacon that I couldn't help but be drawn to. She was absolutely breathtaking.

"Hi, Vaughn! Where's your hat?" She asked with her laughter filled voice.

"Oh… um… Julia wouldn't let me wear it."

I flushed as she reached up and tousled my hair.

"Well that was smart of her. Your hair looks cute." I felt more confident. I felt, for the first time in my life, that I could be myself around someone.

"Let's get going. I've never escorted a girl to this dance before." I gave her a rare smile, which she automatically returned, and we left the diner to catch the boat over to Meadow Island, the place we held all of our festivals. The ride was quick and we soon arrived at the festival. Chelsea seemed a little nervous, and Julia's words rang in my head. _Take charge when she's silent._

"Is every one already here? You're going to dance, right? Good luck."

She smiled nervously and nodded.

"I'll be watching from right here. Go ahead and have fun dancing." She met up with the other dancers who included Julia, Sabrina, Natalie, and Lanna. I joined Denny on the far side of the meadow.

"Whoa, Vaughn? You're here?"

I flushed and kept my face straight. "Yes."

"Did you bring someone? Where's your hat?"

"I obviously didn't wear it and yes, I brought someone."

"You actually asked Chelsea?"

"Yeah, I did, alright? So who'd you bring?"

"Uh…" His eyes shifted nervously. "No one. But when did you two—"

"Shut up, Denny. They're about to start." I hadn't meant to sound so mean, but I was excited to see Chelsea dance.

The girls were lined up at the front of the meadow, each dressed in a light spring color. Lanna had on a rosy pink dress, Julia a sky blue one, then Chelsea in her pale yellow, followed by Natalie in a light green and Sabrina in lavender. The music started playing and all anxiety was wiped from Chelsea's face. She was a natural dancer. Her face broke into a smile as she danced in perfect time with the music and the rest of the girls. I couldn't help but be mesmerized.

"Wow," Denny whispered, "You really like her, huh?"

"Yeah," I replied, unaware of what I was saying. "I really do."

They finished their dance and left to meet up with their dates. Chelsea hurried over, beaming. I couldn't help but smile back, wider than usual. Denny seemed to melt into the scenery.

"You did great!"

"Thanks! I'm so glad you came! I really didn't expect to be asked, especially not by you!" She seemed a little flushed and out of breath.

"Well I'm glad I asked you too. Do you want a drink?"

I could see Julia nodding at me with approval from over Chelsea's shoulder.

"Yeah, let's go!" She grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the refreshment table. She grabbed a glass of bright fruit juice and I snatched a bottle of milk. Then we went over to a bench to relax for a moment. A few people were dancing here and there, Felicia and Chen, Mirabelle and Taro, even Charlie and Eliza. I watched as Felicia and Mirabelle tried to drag Gannon into the center of the field and smiled, ducking my head before realizing I had no hat to hide under.

"You've been smiling a lot tonight." Chelsea said, bringing her now empty glass down and setting it on the ground next to the bench.

"Mhm." I sipped at my milk.

"Why is that?" Her eyes were sparkling with some unknown humor as I blushed again.

"Oh… I'm… having fun." I hesitated. "With you."

She smiled widely again. "Well I'm having fun too. How about a dance?"

"Oh, Uh…"

"Oh, c'mon, Vaughn!" She grabbed my hand and pulled me out into the field. We danced amongst the other villagers; Chelsea got me to loosen up after a while. We eventually tired out and returned to our bench. I looked around at everyone. Sabrina talking with Lanna and Denny, Pierre handing things to Natalie from the refreshment table, Chen, Felicia, Mirabelle, and Taro all laughing together on the other side of the field, and finally Julia dancing with Elliot, more joy on her face than I've ever seen.

"You really care about these people." I turned to see Chelsea watching me.

"Huh? I guess I do." I looked at them all again, seeing Regis and Gannon watching Charlie pick a flower for Eliza. Chelsea smiled at the children.

"Those kids drive me nuts. Every day I go into the store for seeds, Charlie calls out 'Hey, lady!' as loud as possible." She smiled. "That's how Chen always knows I'm there…" I watched her as she looked around at every one as I did.

"I never thought I'd find people like this here." She turned to me. "People like you."

"Like… me?"

"Nice people. I thought they might laugh at me for trying to run the ranch alone. But everyone has been very supportive. I'm lucky to know all of them. _Especially_ you."

"Me? I don't think—"

"You're a good person, Vaughn. People care about you more than you think." She blushed and looked away from me. The sun was going down and the light spring breeze caused her hair to brush across her face. We talked to a few more people before things started to shut down. Chelsea and I caught one of the last boats off the island and back to Verdure. I walked her to the ranch, just to be sure she got there safely.

"The day just blew by." I said once we stopped in front of her farm house. "I had a lot of fun with you, Chelsea." I could see her smile shyly, her face illuminated by the moonlight. I was about to lean down and kiss her when she reached up and ran her hands through my hair.

"The moon makes your hair look so cool. So… shiny." I looked up at the silver hair falling into my face, uncovered by my hat, and Chelsea giggled.

"What's so funny?" I smiled. Her hand was still in my hair.

"Your face when you tried to look at your hair. You looked silly." She took back her hand. "Goodnight, Vaughn. Hang out with me again soon!" She gave me a wave over her shoulder before retreating into her house. I stood there, feeling myself blush, thinking about Chelsea's hand in my hair. I walked back to the store where Julia and Mirabelle were waiting for me.

"So?" Julia asked expectantly. They were seated at the dining table, my hat sitting on the table in front of them. I sat down and put the hat back on my head.

"So what?"

"So did you kiss her?"

"N… no…"

"Vaughn!" She flicked my ear.

"Ow! What was that—"

"I told you to do _one thing_! Why didn't you?"

"I was about to but she put her hand in my hair!"

Julia and Mirabelle just looked at me.

"She _what_?"

"She… She put her hand in my hair. Said the moon made it look _shiny_."

Julia laughed as Mirabelle asked, "Shiny…?" I felt my face burn out of embarrassment.

"Yes, shiny. Goodnight." I stood up and left Mirabelle chuckling behind her hand and Julia nearly falling out of her chair from laughing so hard. I made sure to slam the door on my way out. The island was silent once I left the store. And darker… colder… I thought of the warm kitchen in Mirabelle's house and Julia teasing me. I was tempted to go back, but spared my dignity and headed towards Sprout Island.

The next morning I was working the counter when I heard the door open and looked up to see Chelsea entering the store.

"Hey, Vaughn." She said, sitting on a stool across the counter from me. "I see the hat's back." She tapped the rim of it with a smirk.

"Yeah… so what do you need?" I started to rise to get whatever it was when she stopped me.

"Actually, I was looking for you."

"Me? Why?"

"Because," She pulled her rucksack off of her back and began sifting through it. "I know how much you like milk, so… I thought you'd like… this!" She pulled a bottle of milk from her bag, holding it out to me proudly, as if it were a prized gem.

"Oh, thanks?"

"Eunice is finally old enough to milk!" She told me excitedly. "I thought you should have the first bottle."

"Really? Wow, thank you." I set it on the counter. "Big day, huh? Anything else you need, miss?"

"Nope!" She beamed. "I should get back to work. I need to start getting rid of my old crops. It's almost summer, you know."

"Oh, yeah. Well, don't work too hard."

"I won't!" She hopped off the stool and headed out the door.


	6. Chapter 6

I left the island for another two weeks, and came back to one of the hottest summers we've ever had here. I didn't have to work today, seeing as it was a Saturday, so I decided to drop in on Chelsea. I knocked on the door of her farmhouse.

"You there, Chelsea?"

"Come in!" I open the door and step inside. It's nice and tidy, yet smaller than I would imagine.

"It's nice out today. So, um... How about we go somewhere?"

"Sure!"

"All right. Then let's go."

I follow her out of her house and we make our way towards Verdure. Chelsea started the conversation. "I know my house is a little small, but Gannon's going to begin upgrading tomorrow. I'm excited!" She smiled up at me. "And you don't have your hat on today!"

"Oh, well, yeah… it's uh…"

Chelsea laughed at my loss of words. "You don't have to explain why."

We ended up on the beach, looking out over the ocean side by side.

"How's the ranch work? You look busy as always."

"It's alright. Summer's the hardest season. I just have to give the crops extra water and stuff, but I can manage."

"I see." I hesitated as she looked back at the water. "Chelsea, you're pretty cool."

She blushed. "Wh… what?"

"You handle this all by yourself." I turn to face her, and she meets my eyes. "I respect you, Chelsea. I really do."

She beams. "That's very sweet, Vaughn! That really means a lot to me! I admire you too."

"Really?" I feel myself blushing and I don't have a hat to hide behind, so I turn back towards the sea. "That's the first time any one's ever said that. Thanks, Chelsea."

"I really meant it." I face her again, her happy, almost hopeful face looking up at me. Not even thinking, just following instinct, I lean down and kiss her. I've never kissed a girl like this before, so I didn't exactly know what to do with my hands. Run them through her hair? Touch her face? So they just stayed by my side. She seemed surprised at first, but soon began kissing me back, tightly gripping my shirt as if to prevent me from getting away. But I wasn't going anywhere. I knew at that moment that I was completely hers. I unknowingly put my hands on her back, pulling her closer to me.

My mind was racing. I could feel my face burning, in total disbelief that this was happening. Chelsea whispered my name, her hands tangling in my hair. I ran my hands down her figure, resting them on her lower back. I wanted to remember every detail of this moment, the feel of Chelsea's hands in my hair, the way she smelled like the outdoors, and the way she pulled me closer to her as if she wanted nothing in the world but me. I could have stayed like that forever, but she eventually broke away.

"Um, Vaughn?"

"Y… yeah?"

"Not that this isn't fun, but I have to get back to work." She smiled playfully at me. "I'll see you later, okay?" She kissed me on the nose and left me at the beach watching her walk back to the ranch. Not knowing where else to go, I headed to the shop. Mirabelle looked up from the register and smiled at me as I walk in.

"Oh hi, Vaughn! You're here! Is… everything alright?"

"Wha? Oh, fine. I'm fine."

"You don't look so good, do you have a fever?" She came around the counter to feel my forehead. Julia emerged from the kitchen drying a plate.

"I'm fine. I, uh… I kissed her."

" _What_?!"

I heard the plate clatter to the floor, thankfully not broken. Julia hastily picked it up and dropped it in the sink before hurrying over to where I stood.

"Where? _When_?"

"Just now. At the beach."

"Oh my god, Vaughn!" She hugged me. "So what happened?"

"Huh? Well, uh… She kissed me back."

"Oh, I knew she would! And?" She and Mirabelle looked at me expectantly.

"Well, she had to, uh, work. So she left. And I came here."

"That's it?"

"Yes?"

"Oh, alright. Hey! You know what you should do?"

"What?"

"Watch the fireworks with her tonight!"

"Huh?"

"Gannon's doing his annual fireworks show! Ask her tonight to watch them with you!"

"Oh, uh, sure. I guess I could do that."

So that night, at the meadow, I waited for Chelsea. Once she arrived, I waved at her and she hurried over.

"Hi, Vaughn!"

"Hi. So, do you want to watch the fireworks? Together, I mean?"

"Of course! Let's go find a good spot!" So she dragged me over to a place under a tree to sit and watch. Once Gannon had announced that they were about to start, Chelsea grabbed my hand. I blushed, and she looked up at the sky as the first few went off. In the few moments of silence that followed, she whispered, "My dad used to take me to see fireworks when I was little. I haven't been in forever." We watched the next batch go off, the islanders "oohing" and "aahing" at the colorful explosions. There was silence as Gannon prepped the next batch.

"So what about you? Did your parents ever take you places?"

"Oh… I don't have any. Parents, that is. I was abandoned when I was little."

"Oh, Vaughn." I looked at her to see her face filled with sorrow. "I'm so sorry."

"It's alright." I looked back to the sky. "I just learned not to rely on people. That's why I spend more time around the animals, I guess."

"Well," she said as Gannon lit the next fireworks. "You can rely on me." Just as the fireworks exploded above us, she leaned over and kissed me, obviously not caring if anyone would see. Surprisingly, I didn't care either. I kissed her back, and reached up to run my fingers through her hair. It was silky smooth, just like I'd imagined it would be. I moved my hand down and brushed my fingers lightly across her face. Her skin was soft, her cheeks slightly warm. The silence settled over the meadow again so we pulled apart. We watched the rest of the fireworks in quietly, Chelsea still holding my hand, squeezing it every once in a while and giving me a smile.

I started thinking of my parents for the first time in a while. Sometimes I wonder why they left me behind, why they didn't want to raise me themselves, if they're even still alive. I wondered if they would take me to events like this like Chelsea's father did, or if they would have been total grumps. I was yanked back to reality by Chelsea, who stood once the fireworks were over.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I was just thinking about stuff. Let's head home."

"So," Julia sat across from me at the dining table the next morning. "I enjoyed your little display at the fireworks show last night." I choked on the milk I was drinking.

"What?" I wiped my mouth with my sleeve. "You saw that?"

"Only because Natalie and Pierre pointed it out to me and Elliot. I don't think anyone else saw."

"Oh, god." I buried my face in my hands. "I didn't even think about people seeing…"

Julia laughed. "Well, next time you will." She then snatched my milk out of my hands and ordered me next door to Chen's to pick up some groceries. Chen smiled at me when I handed him the list and placed a few bags on the counter.

"Don't worry about price. Mirabelle already handled that. There was something I wanted to show you, though." He reached under the counter and pulled out a vibrant blue feather. "I heard you were getting a little more acquainted with a certain young lady," He said with a sly smile. "I thought you might want to know that we have only two in stock."

The blue feather was something the people on Verdure Island used to propose to one another. They were very rare and were prized amongst the citizens.

"A blue feather? I don't know, Chen… I can't see myself getting married…"

"Well, just something to consider."

"Alright… Thanks."

"Any time."

And I left with my mind spinning. Surly he didn't think I'd propose to Chelsea. I don't think I will… Or will I? I hadn't thought that far ahead. What if she expects me to? She wouldn't, not yet, at least. I dropped the bags off at the store and went to the café for my lunch break.

Of course, Denny was there as usual. He saw me enter and immediately sat across from me at my table.

"So I heard someone was getting friendly with Chelsea last night at the fireworks festival."

"Would you shut up…"

Haila brought me a glass of milk and I handed her a dollar to pay for it.

"No I most certainly will not. Why didn't you tell me you were dating her?"

"Because I wasn't!" I set my glass down. "It just happened…"

"Well… Now you have to invite her to the Starry Night festival, you know."

"The what?"

"Starry Night Festival. You make dinner and eat with your family. Guys often invite over the girl they like to eat with his family."

"Well, I don't have a family to host a dinner," I snapped.

"Duh, Mirabelle's having a dinner. Didn't she tell you? You can invite Chelsea to eat with you, Mirabelle, and Julia."

I thought about it a moment. "When is this festival?"

"End of winter. But given your schedule, you might want to plan it with Mirabelle now.

I sighed. "Alright, I'll look into it."

Denny smiled slightly, his brow furrowed. "You really like her. Do you think you're in love with her?"

I gave a start. "What? I… I don't think…"

"Heh... tell me when you figure it out." He frowned as he left the café.


	7. Chapter 7

I didn't need to worry about it. Summer was just turning into fall. In fact, by the time I returned to the island, it was fall. I wouldn't be able to go to any of the harvest festivals, though, because of work. I had hoped to see Chelsea at the crop festival, which she won by a landslide. She often dropped by the store to say hello to me, but we were only alone at night after the shop closed. Most of the time we would go to the beach and talk. One night, as I was closing up the store, I heard her enter behind me. I turned to see her flushed face.

"Vaughn! I was just wondering if you wanted to come have a picnic with me…"

"Alright, sounds fun." We left the store together "Just lemme lock the door." I locked up behind us and followed her to Kirk's boat. I realized that we were headed to Meadow Island.

"So, uh, what are we—"

"You'll see." She smiled eagerly. Once we docked on the island, she pulled me to the tree that we watched the fireworks under. "Sit." She commanded. So I sat. She sat next to me and pulled two bottles of milk out of her rucksack as well as a small package of cookies.

"What are you—"

"Hush." She obviously had a game plan. "You ready?"

"Uh… yes?"

"Alright." She beamed. "Lay back."

"What?"

"Lay back!" She pulled me onto my back next to her. Above us, the stars were outlined perfectly by the tree's branches.

"Wow…" I turned to look at her only to find her gazing at me.

"Isn't it pretty?"

"Yeah… it is…" I smiled at her.

"Vaughn…"

"Mhm?" we both looked up at the stars now.

"Do you… Have you ever thought about staying?"

"Staying…?"

"On the island."

Truth be told I had never thought about it. "I guess it never really seemed like an option to me."

"Oh…" I could hear the disappointment in her voice.

"Why?" I turned to look at her again. She had her arm under her head, holding her bandana. Her silky brown hair sprawled across the grass. She kept looking at the stars.

"Well… Other people have thought about it…"

"Other people?" I kept looking at her, but she either was ignoring me or didn't notice.

"Yeah. Mirabelle and Julia. Denny… Me…"

"Really?"

"Yeah." She finally faced me. "The island just doesn't feel right when you're not here." I leaned up on my arm, looking down at her.

"Chelsea…"

"I know, I know… work's important. We all just miss you."

"No… You have dirt on your face."

"What? I do?"

"Yeah…" I wiped it off with my sleeve. "There."

"Thanks…" she looked up at me with her stunning blue eyes. I smiled at her and leaned in and kissed her. She immediately kissed me back, pulling me down closer to her. She smelled like the autumn air, like leaves and sea water. I never thought that I would feel this way about anyone, let alone Chelsea.

"Chelsea?" I said between kisses.

"Mhm?"

"I… I think I love you…" She pulled back, looking at me with wide eyes. I couldn't tell how she was reacting; she just looked at me with wide, sparkling eyes.

"Vaughn…" She planted a firm kiss on my lips. "I love you too!" I was still surprised at her response, surprised that I had said it in the first place. She kissed me again, through her smile.

"I'm so glad you said that!" She kissed me deeply again.

"Really?" We both sat up and grabbed the food to begin eating.

"Of course." She beamed and handed me a cookie, picking my hat up off the ground and pulling it on her head. We sat side by side, leaning against our tree and eating cookies with milk, gazing up at the stars.

"You know…" Chelsea sounded wistful, as if remembering something. "Fall has always been my favorite season. The leaves are so pretty, the weather is so nice, and of course the pumpkin festival was always fun for me as a kid…" She looked at me as if she just remembered I was there. "What's your favorite season, Vaughn?"

"Hmm…" What _was_ my favorite season? The answer came naturally, surprising me. "Spring. It's so nice out, and all the baby animals are being born. It's busy, but I love seeing little horses taking their first steps and ducklings hatching and… What?" Chelsea was smiling at me, laughter in her eyes.

"You're so sweet, Vaughn." She laughed when I scowled at her. "You don't even realize it. That's why I have to keep reminding you." She kissed my cheek and we went back to looking at the stars.

Chelsea eventually fell asleep, her head on my shoulder, my hat on her head, her hand still holding mine. I wondered how long we'd been out here. She should probably get home and get some rest.

"Chelsea…" I whispered her name gently. "Chelsea, c'mon wake up."

"Huh? Oh… There's grass in your hair…"

"What?"

"I got it." She brushed away the strands of grass. "There."

"Oh… thanks." I put my hat back on my head. "You fell asleep."

"Oh, I guess we have been here a while… We should head back."

"Yeah, c'mon I'll walk you home."

Once we ended up at her door, she took my hand and blushed, but looked completely serious. I'd never seen her make this face before and it worried me.

"Vaughn, would you like to stay the night?"

"What? You mean like… sleep here? With you?"

"Yes."

I suddenly grew incredibly nervous. "I-Isn't your bed too small? And don't we have work early in the morning? I'm sure I'd distract you from sleep, and I don't want to be a distra—"

"Vaughn, that's kind of the point…" She took my other hand and squeezed them. "You don't need to make up excuses. If you aren't ready to stay over for the whole night, that's totally fine. I don't want to make you rush anything."

"Chelsea, I've never…" I trailed off and felt embarrassed. This was the first time I really realized how inexperienced I was with relationships. I cleared my throat. "I've never been… intimate with a woman before…"

"That doesn't matter to me, Vaughn." She let go of my hands. "I don't mind waiting, but if you want to keep talking about it, let's go inside."

I nodded and she unlocked her door. My legs felt like jelly as I forced myself to enter her home. Of course I wanted to spend the night here. But would I be awkward? Would I embarrass myself? I shut the door behind me and stood on her welcome mat. Chelsea's voice jolted me back to reality.

"Do you want something to drink? Water?"

"Yeah, water's fine." I sat at her kitchen table and set my hat in front of me. Chelsea kicked off her boots by the door and headed toward the fridge to get drinks. "Hey Chelsea? Have you… been with someone before?"

Chelsea froze. "Yes."

"Oh, okay."

"Does that… bother you?" She sat down and placed a glass of water in front of me before sipping from her own.

"Of course not, I was just curious."

She took my hand and we drank our water. I slowly started to relax. I loved Chelsea with all my heart, and the more I watched her, the more I wanted her.

"Chelsea, I think… I think I will stay here tonight. If that's alright."

Chelsea just smiled at me. "Okay… I'll get my pajamas on then…"

My heart began to race as she grabbed some clothes from a drawer and slipped into the restroom. She called out to me from behind the closed door. "Feel free to get comfy. Take your shoes off, stay a while." I did just that and set them by the front door, just as Chelsea came back to the living area. She looked incredible. Her hair was up in a loose ponytail and she wore a black and red flannel shirt five times too big for her and athletic shorts.

"Oh," I looked down at my attire; a vest over a button down shirt with heavy black pants. Not very cozy. "I guess I'm not really prepared for a sleep over am I?" She waved me over to where she stood next to the bed, and whispered gently, "I can fix that."

Her lips slid against mine and my mind went blank as she slid my vest off and worked the buttons of my shirt. Her kisses moved down to my neck and my shirt soon joined my vest on the floor. Her mouth traveled back up to my ear and she whispered to me again as her hands gripped my belt. "Are you okay with me doing this?"

My voice had left me, and all I could do was breathe "Yes," back to her. She smiled as her lips met mine again and I reached around to grip her lower back and pull her closer. Before I even realized what she was doing, she was yanking my belt off and letting it thud to the ground. My shaking fingers tried desperately to unbutton her shirt, somehow succeeding and exposing her beautiful body. I had to break away from our kiss just to look at her and take it all in. I kissed and nipped at her neck and finished removing her shirt. Her hand found its way down to the front of my pants and I moaned into her neck involuntarily.

Chelsea finally pushed me backwards gently and I fell onto her bed. She smiled playfully and took her hair down before straddling me as I kicked off my pants. "I love you so much Vaughn…"

I swelled with confidence as I rolled her to the other side of the bed and rested on top of her. "I love you too, Chels..."

Chelsea and I woke earlier than usual the next morning, and we ate a small pancake breakfast before she needed to get started on her work. On my way back to Mirabelle's, I decided to stop by Chen's shop.

I walked into the store with a newfound purpose. Chen looked up when I entered.

"My, my, you're up early, Vaughn. What can I do for you?"

"I uh… just… um…" I lost my nerve.

"Vaughn? Does Mirabelle need something?"

"No, I'm here for… personal reasons."

"Oh! Are you looking to buy the blue feather I showed you a while ago?"

"Uh… yes."

"Wonderful! I'm so happy for you!" He pulled it out from under the counter and I swiftly paid for it.

"Chen? Could you do me a favor and keep this between us?"

"No problem." He winked and I nodded at him, leaving the store. It was a Saturday, so I had time to get some coffee at the café. It was now around seven, so I caught Denny drinking some morning tea when I walked in.

"Hey, Vaughn. You're up early for a day off."

"Oh, yeah. I had things to do."

"Hey, what's that in your pocket?" He had seen as I walked past his seat to the counter.

"Nothing—Hey!" He reached into my pocket and snatched the feather out.

"You're gonna propose to Chelsea?!"

"Shut it!" I snatched the feather back. "Keep your big mouth shut about it!"

"No problem, buddy! Wow, I'm so happy for you…" He didn't sound it, though. But I didn't have time to think about why.

"I'm not sure what I'm gonna do yet. I just… need to think about it."

"It's a big decision."

"Yeah…" My mind was whirling and I suddenly felt exhausted. "I know."


	8. Chapter 8

I soon had to leave again for the rest of the season. It was starting to get cooler as winter approached. I spent my last day with Chelsea at her farm house. It was much roomier since Gannon's upgrade. I walked in, knowing she'd know it was me. She was fussing around in the kitchen, so she didn't hear me come in. She was humming to herself with a small smile on her face as she chopped vegetables, adding them all to a pot. I could also smell a loaf of bread baking in the oven. She had a smear of flour across her face and seemed perfectly content with herself. I smiled and cleared my throat.

"Oh, Vaughn! Come on in!" she met me at the table in the center of the room. "It's just about done so go ahead and sit down."

"You know you've got flour on your face right?"

"Oh!" I laughed as she wiped a hand across her cheek. "Let me go wash this off… Be right back!" She said brightly, turning into the bathroom. She came back out quickly and spooned some stew into two bowls before taking the bread out of the oven and slicing it. I got up and helped her bring everything to the table. She returned to the kitchen for a glass of milk and a cup of hot chocolate.

"I left the carrots out because I know you don't like them." She said sweetly, kissing me on the cheek and setting the milk in front of me. I blushed as she settled into the seat across from me. We ate the meal, talking about the two weeks ahead of us. I told her where I would be traveling and what kinds of animals I'd be taking this time. She told me that she'd start clearing her field soon and planned on having Gannon install a maker shed on the ranch.

"There isn't much else to do in the winter besides cook and fish."

"Yeah, and make sure Eunice is warm enough. Caring for her is going to be a lot harder now that it's winter."

"Don't worry. The barn's plenty warm and I have enough fodder to last the whole season."

I helped her clear the table after we finished and we decided to take a walk to the café for dessert. We met up with Denny and ordered a few pieces of cake. Denny kept shifting uncomfortably and would hardly make conversation, so we didn't stay long. I walked Chelsea back home once we were done visiting.

"So… I'm going to be gone for a long time."

"I know…" I could see the sadness in her eyes.

"But, hey, it'll go by before you know it." I kissed her deeply. "I love you."

"I love you too. Travel safe and stay warm!" She gave me a long hug before returning to the warmth of her house. I wished for nothing more than to go in with her and have her fall asleep in my arms, but I had to go pack at the inn and get ready to leave in the morning.

My trip lasted much longer than I would have liked, my return being set back a week by a series of bad storms. I thought about Chelsea alone on that ranch during the blizzards and hoped she'd be alright. I kept the blue feather on me at all times, taking it out of my pocket and staring it down sometimes, wondering what to do. I had no way of contacting the island, so my return was a surprise to everyone. I headed to the inn first to drop of my things, stopping by the store before seeing Chelsea. Mirabelle was happy to see me.

"Vaughn! We were so worried about you!"

"Vaughn's back?" Julia ran from the kitchen and attacked me with a hug, nearly knocking me over. "Oh my gosh! You have to go see Chelsea right now! She's been so worried!"

"Oh, alright." I was surprised at my welcome. I hadn't realized I'd be missed so much. "I was just on my way to see her."

"Alright, tell her we say hi!"

I left the store, still confused, and headed to the ranch. I saw Chelsea sitting on the ground in the snow, watching Eunice graze the little remaining grass in the field. She seemed down and I hoped it wasn't because of me.

"Chelsea?"

"Vaughn?!" She jumped up and ran towards me.

"Oh my god you're alright! I didn't hear from you in so long and those storms! Oh my god I was so scared!" She started sobbing into my shoulder. I was stunned and didn't know what to say.

"Hey," I hugged her back. "It's alright! I'm okay. Don't cry, Chelsea."

"I'm fine… I'm just so relieved you're okay." She pulled back and searched my face. "Why don't you come inside? I'll heat up a bottle of milk. You're freezing." She whistled at Eunice to get back into the barn and then led me to her house. She poured some milk in a pot and set the stove on low, letting it heat. I sat leaning against her table, and she came to stand in front of me.

"So, you're alright?"

"Yeah. The storms here were relatively mild. I could still get to the barn and stuff, but they must have been terrible out at sea."

"Yeah, it was pretty bad."

She hugged me again. "I'm so glad you weren't hurt." She swiftly kissed me and went to pour the warm milk into a couple glasses. We sat across from each other at the table and let the milk warm our hands, slowly sipping it.

"So… The Starry Night Festival is tomorrow."

"Really? I'd forgotten…"

"Mirabelle's having a dinner. I was wondering if you'd like to go."

"Sure!"

"Well, it's at 6 p.m. so come by then." I smiled at her. "But I have to go help them feed the animals. I'll see you tomorrow night." I got up and kissed her before heading back out into the cold.

The next day was a lot milder, some of the snow beginning to melt. Julia fussed over the dinner all day while Mirabelle and I took care of the animals. 6:00 took forever to get here. I left my hat at my room at the inn along with the blue feather. I didn't want Chelsea to catch me with it. I waited anxiously at Mirabelle's for Chelsea to arrive. She finally did, a few minutes after six.

"Glad you could make it, Chelsea." I smiled at her

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." She beamed right back.

We made our way to the kitchen. Julia and Mirabelle made all kinds of sweets and drinks and had them all out on the table. We sat down in front of the spread side by side, Chelsea taking my hand under the table. I felt my face burn as Mirabelle sat across from Chelsea.

"Welcome, Chelsea. I cooked an awful lot, so eat up."

We ate a few cookies and things, Mirabelle and Julia eventually started clearing away the table. I turned towards Chelsea.

"I never really had these kinds of parties before. I'm really grateful to Mirabelle for putting everything together."

"No problem," said Mirabelle, materializing behind me. "I know how much you like Chelsea, Vaughn." She said before leaving with a wink. I blushed again.

"Well I am grateful."

"It was fantastic, Mirabelle. Thanks for the invite."

"Anytime." Mirabelle smiled sweetly as Julia sat down across from me.

"Hey, aren't you two gonna go look at the stars?" She asked us.

"Oh, well…" I had almost forgotten the star gazing.

"That's kind of the whole point of the festival, dumbo." She kicked me under the table.

I glared at Julia, rubbing my shin, and she stuck her tongue out at me.

"That's right," Mirabelle said. "Now off you two go."

"Come on," Chelsea rose and held her hand out to me. "Let's go find a good spot."

We left the shop and wandered around the islands. We decided against the trip to Meadow Island because of the temperature, so we ended up stopping at Sprout Island beach. Chelsea gazed at the sky wistfully.

"They do look nice tonight."

"Yeah," I agreed, taking her hand. "Your hands are freezing."

She sighed. "Yeah, I know."

"We shouldn't stay out long."

"I don't want to go home just yet. Can we go somewhere together?"

I thought for a moment. "Sure. Come on." I led her to the inn and took her up to my room. She sat down on the bed and I saw my hat on the dresser, remembering with a jolt the feather under it. While she looked around my room, I lifted the hat and slid the feather into my hand.

"Hey, Chelsea?"

"Yes?"

My heart was pounding, threatening to jump out of my chest.

"I have something to ask…"

"What's up?

"Um…" I sat down next to her on the bed.

"Vaughn, what's wrong? You can ask me anything." She reached for my empty hand.

"I, uh… I got you something." I held the feather out to her. She sat in stunned silence.

"A… a blue feather? Vaughn, are you… proposing to me?"

"I… uh…" I couldn't think of what to say. My face flushed deeper and I looked down at my lap, avoiding her gaze. "Chelsea, I've thought about this a long time and… I don't want to leave this island any more. I want to stay here. With you. So…" I looked up at her. She had tears in her eyes, which I really hoped were happy tears. "Will you marry me, Chelsea?"

"Oh, Vaughn!" She fell into my arms. "Of course I will!"

"Really? Wow… I never thought I would end up with anybody."

She smiled up at me. "I never thought you'd ask." She kissed me, long and deep, and I wished I could just freeze time.

"We've gotta tell Mirabelle and Julia. Will you come with me, Chelsea?"

"Of course."

She followed me back to the store. The two of them looked up from the dishes in surprise.

"Oh, Vaughn," Mirabelle said, coming to meet us in the doorway. "I didn't expect you two to come back."

"Well, we've got something to tell you." Julia came into the shop and stood beside her mother. "Chelsea and I are getting married."

Julia was stunned into silence, but Mirabelle let out a loud squeal, making me and Chelsea both jump. "That's great to hear!" She hugged Chelsea, who looked at me for help escaping from the woman's grasp. Mirabelle didn't seem to have any intention of letting go, though, and Julia finally spoke up. "I never thought Vaughn would get married…"

"Yeah… it still feels a little weird." I laughed and ran my hand through my hair. Mirabelle finally released Chelsea, and Julia hugged her next. I couldn't help but smile at the two people I'm closest to welcoming Chelsea into the family.

Mirabelle hugged me next. "From here on, you're going to learn so much. Like how wonderful it is to start a family of your own."

"Yeah…" I looked at Chelsea over Mirabelle's shoulder and she smiled widely at me. "I know I'll be happy with you, Chelsea."

"You're so loved, Chelsea!" Julia smiled and came over to hug me after Mirabelle. "Vaughn, I wish you the best."

"Thanks" I hugged her back, and when I let go I saw that she had tears in her eyes.

"So," Mirabelle asked. "When's the wedding?"

"I think a week should be enough time to prepare." I turn to Chelsea. "Chelsea, is that alright with you?"

"That sounds great! Julia, we have so much planning to do!"

"I can't wait!" Mirabelle exclaimed, bursting into tears and hugging me again. "Congratulations, Vaughn!"

I smiled into Mirabelle's shoulder and felt my eyes well up. I didn't realize how important I was to her and Julia. I couldn't be any happier than I was right this moment.


	9. Chapter 9

Chelsea and Julia were busy for most of the week leading up to the wedding. I did get to have dinner with them and Mirabelle once or twice, where all we would talk about were plans.

"So, I chose Julia to be my maid of honor… Do you have anyone that you want to be your best man?"

I froze with my fork halfway to my mouth. "Uh… no. I hadn't thought about it…"

"Oh! Well, you should decide soon! We only have a few days left, after all." Chelsea squeezed my hand excitedly and I smiled at her. After I helped clean up the dishes, I decided to head to Sprout Island to talk to Denny about being my best man. He seemed like the best choice, considering he was my first real friend on the island. Denny invited me in once I got there, but didn't seem to be his usual cheerful self. I decided not to pry and just got right to the point as he started preparing some tea.

"So, the wedding is in a couple days and I don't have anyone to be my best man, so… I thought I would ask if you'd do it."

Denny dropped the kettle he was holding to the counter loudly. He leaned forward on his hands without looking at me.

"What's wrong?!"

"Honestly Vaughn? Being your best man is the last thing I want to do."

He turned to face me finally and I could see seething hatred in his eyes.

"I don't understand…"

"You don't understand? Are you really that _fucking_ stupid?"

"Hey! What the hell is your problem, Denny?"

"Does Chelsea even know you're here right now?"

I shook my head and he laughed in disbelief. He laughed, "Yeah, I didn't think so. She really never told you then, huh. Vaughn, Chelsea and I dated."

I felt my blood run cold. "What? When?!"

"When you two fought and you were gone for, like, months! We broke up right after the Spring Thanksgiving festival. She dumped me. Because of _you._ " He practically spat the words at me. My mind was racing and I felt utterly betrayed as I sunk to a cushion on the ground.

"I can't believe she never told me."

Denny's eyes darkened with sadness. "I guess I really didn't mean that much to her, then. Vaughn…" He sighed and sat across from me. "I wasn't even going to go to the wedding. I… I loved her. And she kinda broke my heart."

"I can't believe her. I just… _shit_." I felt so heavy with sadness. My blood was boiling. I jumped to my feet. "How could she keep this a secret from me? How could she even _date you_ to begin with?!"

Denny stayed in his spot on the ground and just glared up at me. "You fought. She gave up on you, Vaughn." He stood slowly and talked quietly, which was scarier than if he had yelled at me. "You were so cold to her, so rude and distant that she figured you didn't want anything to do with her, so she gave up. I was by her side before she even got to know you, I was kind to her, I listened to all the bullshit that you put her through and was her shoulder to cry on. But she obviously loves you more than she ever loved me, because she ended our relationship the second you showed her any affection. I was just there to kill time. And I knew that was going to happen… I knew it wouldn't ever work between us, but it still stung like a bitch, Vaughn. So no. I will not be your best man. And no, I will not even be going to your wedding. I think you should leave now."

"Gladly." I stomped out of his house and made sure to slam the door behind me. I looked up and my heart sunk.

"Vaughn?"

"Chelsea? What are you doing here?"

"I was… I was just going to talk to Denny."

"Why didn't you tell me?" I felt tears welling up behind my eyes and I tried to fight them back, but I wasn't able to. "The two of you… together… it makes me sick to my stomach, Chelsea? How long were you together?"

"Not long… Just a little over a month." She refused to meet my eye and looked down at her feet instead. "We were just close friends for a while, but he wanted to be more. I thought I did too, but I wanted you since day one. As soon as I thought I had a chance with you, I left him. I guess it was kind of cruel to lead him on like that… But I just needed comfort because… Because I thought you'd never love me back. I should have just told you though."

I stayed quiet and my anger subsided. I just wished she would've trusted me enough to be honest with me, but I guess I didn't give her any reason to. I approached her and pulled her into a hug.

"It's okay. I'm not mad, it was just a shock." I pulled away and looked down at her. "But why were you going to talk to him?"

"I wanted him to know that he's welcome at our wedding. I wanted to try to make peace with him… but I guess things didn't work out when you tried to do the same?"

"I asked him to be my best man. He wants nothing to do with us." I squeezed the bridge of my nose to try to chase away the headache I felt coming. "You can go ahead and try to talk to him, but he's already angry. I'm going to bed."

I left Chelsea behind and retired to my room for the night. Just a few more days.

Mirabelle and I were riding the boat to the island that housed the church. My heart was pounding. I had hardly seen Chelsea during the week leading up to our wedding. I was wearing a nice shirt and a tie under my suit, my hat was off and my hair was as untidy as ever. We arrived at the church and everyone got put in place, then it was time. The doors opened, and Chelsea began walking down the aisle, followed by Julia. She looked amazing. Her brown hair was tied back and was decorated with little white flowers. Her dress had short sleeves despite the cold weather outside, and she had the biggest smile on her face. She met me at the altar and the ceremony went by in a blur, me saying "I do" without hesitating and smiling as Chelsea did the same.

"You may kiss the bride."

And I most certainly did. The church was filled with claps and the sounds of Mirabelle crying onto Felicia's shoulder. I looked at Chelsea, my wife, and knew that our new life together would be absolutely amazing. I couldn't remember a time when I didn't love her.

"Chelsea, I love you so much." I took her hand and tears filled my eyes.

"I love you too, Vaughn."


End file.
